New Starting Battery Question

[Jack Daniels]

Whats the minimum recommended CCA for a Marine starting battery for the motor in my Signature? Also are excide batterys quality? I bought a Meijer Battery and it keeps draining on me while sitting in the garage. I did the draw test and it has no draw to it. Thanks for the help.

 

[flargin]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

I don't know what the CCA is, but if you buy any standard size (group 24) Dual purpose/marine battery you will have plenty of CCA I would guess, it is less than 100 CCA demand.

Excide is fine.

Have you had your battery tested? When it drains, what does it drain to? 0 or 10v or what?

how long is it "in the garage" before it drains?

 

[Jack Daniels]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

It takes a week in the garage before it drains completely. It basically wont hold a charge, i have never had it tested. I usually store the thing with the engine unhooked completely and then reattach before i go out. This is the second battery that i have had issues with and its doing the same thing as the original.

 

[flargin]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

Take the battery to a shop have it checked.

If it is truely sitting there 1 week without any cables attached, and it goes dead, then you have a problem. Do you have any ability to crank, or is the battery dead (i.e. cannot turn on lights or stereo?)

the key question is why is 2 batteries dead, (and were they dead in the same way?)... Yes you can get a bad battery from a store, it happens, not very often, but it does happen.

If you have the battery connected, but the switches off, then I think it is more likely a slow leak, possibly through a switch or a short.

If not, I would suggest you check the voltage on the alternator when running, or remove the alternator and have it checked (is this an I/o or outdrive?)

 

[bustermin]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

are you disconnecting it via a battery switch (did you veify the switch is actually disconnecting), or are you removing ALL connections Poitive and Negative from the battery terminals. the fact that this is the second battery suggest you have a draw, what method did you use to test for the draw?

 

[Jack Daniels]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

The battery is completely dead, and i unhook all cables from the batter after the boat is used. To check for the draw, i unhooked the negative cable from the battery and completed the circuit with a volt meter. Then i switched and left the negative hooked up and checked the positive via a volt meter to the battery. Each way i had zero on the meter, and 12 volts on the battery itself.

 

[flargin]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

The battery is completely dead, and i unhook all cables from the batter after the boat is used.

that is not normal... is there corrosion or grease/oil on the battery? do you do anything special with your batteries, wash them etc?

Can you charge the battery with a house charger, leave it charging for a while (24 hours). Take the voltage 1 hour after you remove the charger, and then again 1 day later...

What is the voltage of the system when you are running the motor?

To check for the draw, i unhooked the negative cable from the battery and completed the circuit with a volt meter. Then i switched and left the negative hooked up and checked the positive via a volt meter to the battery. Each way i had zero on the meter, and 12 volts on the battery itself.

Try doing the same but switch it to the Amp setting (may have to switch the location of the red meter wire) see what it is drawing.

 

[Jack Daniels]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

I do charge with a house charger at normal settings, 8 AMP. DUring operation the boat runs at about 14 amps or so. I know its getting charged during operation. Normally i dont worry about it, because ill just charge her up the night before we go boating and im good to go for the day. After a charge she cranks over fine and then stays charged while we are running. The issue is that I will be going on vacation for a week so the boat will be in the water the whole time so i dont want to have to worry about charging it every night.

A little mroe info, the battery is a Meijer Brand starting/deep cycle battery, i only run the motor, lights, depth finder, and guages with it. I have a seperate deep cycle for the radio only and its run completely seperate from the other batter and ignition for that matter. I appreciate the help with this.

If i take it to get tested, where can i take it and does it have to be fully charged?

 

[flargin]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

take it to where you got it, or any auto parts store. Charged is better, saves you some time. If it does not have enough charge they will have to charge it for you.

did you say this was a new battery? and was the second battery with the same problem? or a different problem?

 

[Jack Daniels]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

The first battery did the same thing and i exchanged it for the one i have in now, so its the second battery. This has me really perplexed, ill take it to the auto store tomorrow and see what they say.

 

[Ridemywideglide]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

From the sounds of it, you'd be better off picking up a walmart battery. That'd be strike 2 with me for Meijer batteries.

 

[flargin]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

agreed, if this is two dead on arrival...

I have 3 boats, 1 RV, 3 cars -- total 12 batteries... walmart batteries work pretty well. Though I did get one a few years ago with a dead cell. but that only caused it to maintain a 10V charge... not 0v.

they have a great return/exhcange policy.

 

[Ridemywideglide]

Re: New Starting Battery Question

I too have a walmart battery..

Couldn't justify putting a $200 Optima in a $500 boat..